Winter
by igirisexual
Summary: Even in the thickest storms and blizzards, a burst of light and warmth can be everything needed for salvation. Russia hates the winters of his home. Thankfully, he has China to be that warmth to his snowy heart. RoChu. Oneshot. Canonverse.


"Ivan, you need to come inside."

Yao's voice was little above a murmur, and he gently shook the sat down man by the shoulders.

"I'm Russia," Ivan corrected, curling into himself a little more. "Call me that."

"I'm not going to do that, _Ivan_," Yao insisted with a huff, in no state to take Ivan's moody nonsense. "You know what you are to me. Now get up."

"I don't want to," he mumbled, hugging his knees tightly to his chest.

The two nations sat outside their cabin out in the snow, Ivan crazily deciding to go out in the middle of a blizzard. He had then curled up a short distance from the warmth of the cabin, and decided he wasn't going to move. He was stubborn and upset about something for some reason far beyond Yao's knowledge. And really, in this Russian winter, it was fucking freezing, and all Yao wanted was to be back inside. This was supposed to be a nice little trip where he spent quality time in a cabin with the man he loved. Not a grueling excursion where he tried to drag Ivan in from a blizzard.

"I said, _get, up._" Yao growled, grabbing either of Ivan's arms and trying to yank him up. He was like a goddamned boulder, and even with Yao's strength, he wasn't able to lift him more than a few centimetres. "Ivan!" Ivan simply whimpered in response and settled himself back on the ground, hiding his face in his arms. He really was so childish sometimes. "Stop being so selfish," Yao barked, again trying to pull Ivan to his feet. "If you're going to be an angst-ridden child, at least do so in the cabin so I don't freeze to death! I am not made of ice as you are!"

This seemed to be good enough for Ivan, and he slowly stood, Yao sighing with exasperation. He huffed, whimpered, and began to wade back through the snow to get into the cabin. When the door was opened, the snow that had been pressing against the door flooded into the cabin's inside, and Yao groaned. "Now the floor's going to be all wet," he muttered, giving Ivan the final literal push he needed to get the hell in the cabin.

"Sorry," Ivan mumbled, brushing the powder snow off of his clothes.

"Come on, I'll get a fire going," Yao huffed, dragging Ivan over to the fireplace and sitting him down in front of it. He set up the logs already in there, and got to lighting it, and they had a blaze in front of them in no time. "Now, Ivan," he frowned, sitting down in Ivan's lap and resting his back against Ivan's front. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's cold," Ivan whined quietly, looping his arms around Yao's chest and letting them rest together just at Yao's bellybutton. Yao's arms hooked around his, and Ivan was again amazed by just how warm Yao always felt. "It's very cold."

"We're in your country," Yao pointed out. "It's always fucking cold."

"That's what I mean," he huffed, absently kissing the top of Yao's head before resting his chin on it. "It is always cold, and I can't help but feel like I'm starting to freeze over, starting at my heart."

"You're not freezing over," Yao remarked quickly, drawing invisible lines on Ivan's forearms. "You've got me to help you keep warm."

"It's always so cold in Russia," Ivan whimpered, closing his eyes. "I hate it. I want to leave here, but I can't, not forever."

"Is that really what you're all upset about?" Yao huffed, turning his head to look up at the larger man. "Just come to my place. Stay for ages. Maybe visit back here every now and then and check how things are running."

"I'd feel like I'm abandoning my people," he mumbled in reply. "I'm supposed to be responsible for this frozen wasteland."

"Hey, hey, it's not a wasteland," Yao whined, reaching back and gently punching Ivan's chest. "You've got tons of great stuff. Like your architecture, and.. Uh, Cossack dancing."

"I suppose we do have vodka, but that'll only drown one's sorrows for so long," he murmured. "And you know how incredibly hard it is for this body to get inebriated."

"You've got a great country, I don't care what you say," Yao refuted, irritated because he'd really screwed up when he tried to have a list. Honestly, his house was better. But that was his inner arrogance and pride speaking. "You can still come and stay at my house for as long as you like. If your people notice you're gone, go back. That simple."

"Sometimes I feel like I _am _winter," Ivan said quietly after a few moments of silence. "That I _am_ the blizzards and the snow and the frost."

"Do you?" Yao asked, although he was admittedly worried by where Ivan may be going with this.

"And then I realise," he paused, opening his eyes again and gently squeezing the man in his arms. "You're my summer in winter and you thaw me out entirely."

"Now now," Yao puffed, red and embarrassed. "Why'd you have to go and say something so embarrassing," he mumbled. Damn it, he hadn't been expecting something sweet like that. "After this cabin stay you're coming right to my land," he declared quietly. "So! Get ready for walking and good food, okay!"

"Okay," he hummed, smiling a tiny bit now. "Thanks, Yao. Thank you so much."

* * *

**some cute rochu!**


End file.
